Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by Witty Sarcasm
Summary: HAITUS. JLU. Andrea has come to stay at the Tower from her crime fighting in Gotham, thanks to Batman. Previous feelings confronted and desasterly outcomes await. Batman/OC;a bit Vigilante/OC and others. Disclaimer: I do not own anything unfortunately.


The brunette, 20 year old stepped out of the Batjet. "Hey, you comin'  
today anytime soon?" she asked the masked man who was sitting in the  
pilot's seat. He looked over at her and glared.

"Andrea, why don't you go in and find your room while I finish talking on  
the phone?" he asked, in a voice that told her to that that wasn't a  
suggestion. Andrea, or Andy as most people called her, sighed and turned  
towards the door leading out of the landing docks. Her first time at the  
watchtower in over two years and she had to reacquaint herself with the  
layout...alone.

She sighed again. Oh well. From what she had gathered from her frequent  
mind talks with J'onn over the last two years, they had recruited a bunch of  
teenagers, most around her age, and that a majority of them stayed over at  
the different watch towers situated around Earth. Hopefully at least one of  
them was a bit more...cooperative than Batman. Gosh, that man pushed  
her buttons sometimes.

Andy was jolted out of her thoughts when she hit something, hard. With a  
grunt, she found herself colliding with the floor. Her back side hit the  
ground first, followed by her head. She winced. This floor was a lot  
harder than she remembered it. Of course, she never head banged it  
before...

Andrea suddenly felt a gloved hand grabbing her arm and helping her up.  
"You alright, darlin'?" a southern voice drawled. Andy looked up and found  
herself looking at a cowboy. His hat that was pulled down low and his red  
bandana that reached his eyes made it impossible to see anything below his  
nose. Only the top part of his face showed, but Andrea found herself  
staring anyway.

"Are you alright, darlin'?" he asked again, a bit more concerned this time  
by her lack of a response. Andy mentally shook herself out of her trance.  
She blinked and refocused her jade eyes.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine, just got a bit spacey there. Sorry," she  
replied apologetic. The cowboy's eyes crinkled as he smiled underneath the  
bandana.

"No worries. I apologize for running into you. Talking to Shining Knight  
here, I got a little distracted," he said lightly, nodding towards the  
Knight that stood a bit behind him. The Knight scoffed.

"You weren't paying attention in the first place, Vigilante," he muttered,  
rolling his eyes. Andy smiled.

"I was too!" Vigilante argued, turning to poke the Knight in the chest, "If you hadn't started that particular conversation, I wouldn't have had to be  
up in your face!" The Knight looked over the angry cowboy's shoulder at the  
amused teenager.

"I apologize for our rude behavior," he said politely. Andy shook her  
head, a smile on her face.

"Don't worry about it. I see you guys have a...difference of opinion.  
Care to spill?" she asked curious. Vigilante turned around to face her.

"Shining Knight here," he began, glaring over his shoulder, "doesn't think  
that the old Westerns are good movies." Andy's smile turned incredulous.

"You guys were arguing over a movie and...?" she trailed off. When they  
didn't offer up anything else, her eyes widened.

"That's it?" She sighed, shaking her head. Then she smiled.

"I do that too," she said, laughing at their expressions. Vigilante  
suddenly took a step forward.

"So," he began lowly, as if it were a big secret, "do you think that old  
Westerns are good movies?" Andy looked at him and smirked.

"What happens if I say 'no'?" she asked lightly. The Shining Knight looked  
over at Vigilante and smirked also.

"Looks like she doesn't like Westerns either," he said smugly. The  
cowboy's eyes narrowed. Andy looked at the Knight and raised an eyebrow.

"Who said I don't like Westerns?" she asked smartly. The Knight looked her  
over in surprise.

"You mean you actually find those gun battles and horse chases amusing?" he  
asked incredulously. Andy smiled widely.

"Oh yeah! And the really hot cowboys in the tight pants and nice hats  
running all around..." she trailed off at the wide eyed looks she was  
receiving; Vigilante's a bit more appreciative.

"What?" she asked innocently. Vigilante was about to say something when  
Batman walked up.

"Andrea! Why aren't your bags in your room?" he asked, throwing narrowed  
glances to Shining Knight and Vigilante. Andrea rolled her eyes.

"Well, I was walking through this hallway here, trying to reacquaint myself with a tower that has changed drastically in the last two years, when I got  
mowed to the ground by a cowboy and a knight. That answer your question?"  
she replied with a glare. Batman shook his head in frustration. She could  
be so hard to live with sometimes.

"Alright, alright," he sighed, "I should've helped you around since you  
have no idea where you are going. But I had a really important call that  
I had to finish." Andrea suddenly smiled.

"It's alright. I get it. Work more important than people," she said with  
an innocent face. Batman scowled at her. Andy, taking that as her cue to  
scat, walked over to Vigilante and Shining Knight.

"So uh, you guys gonna help me find my room or not?" she asked with a  
deceivingly angelic smile. The Shining Knight looked over at the pissed bat  
and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know if that would be good for our health," he began, but at  
Andy's defeated look, he continued, "but I've never been one to leave a  
damsel in distress. Goes against what I've been taught." Andy's eyes  
narrowed slightly at the 'damsel in distress' part, (what? who wouldn't take  
offense?), but decided to not say anything. After all, these two guys were  
willing to go up against Batman so she wouldn't have to walk with the tight  
ass all around the base. Ah, good ol' chivalry.

She gave a smile as Vigilante agreed. "Besides," he added with a twinkle  
in his eye, "I'd like to hear more about why you like Westerns so much."

-A few hours later in the break room-

Andrea sighed in content as she sipped a cup of hot chocolate. This day  
was almost over. And the last three and half hours were the most stressful that she had been through in a long while. Just the whole relocating thing wore her out.  
Since her parents had left a few days ago for who-knows-where, Batty had  
suggested that she live in the Tower. Although she was hesitant at first,  
her doubts had been moved to the back of her mind; right about the time  
Batty held her at batarang point to pack her bags and literally threw her  
into the jet.

Remembering her less that soft landing in the passenger seat, Andy rubbed  
her backside. Damn him.

"Still sore from your crash in the hall?" a southern voice asked suddenly.  
Andy jumped and spun around to face the door. The one day she didn't sit  
with her front to the door someone sneaks up on her. Damnit, this was not  
her day!  
"Oh. No," she grinned, turning back to her hot chocolate as Vigilante came  
and sat down in front of her, "it's actually still sore from a crash landing  
in a jet." Her smile grew at his concerned look.

"Have you seen the Doc yet?" he asked, half standing up to direct her  
there. Andy full out laughed this time.

"No," she said shaking her head, "not that kind of crash. I got thrown  
into a jet." As Vigilante's concerned look increased, Andrea sighed.

Men.

"Ok, Vigilante," she began slowly, "let me try to explain this better. I  
was thrown into the passenger seat of a jet. The Batjet. By Batman."  
Realization dawned on the cowboy's face.

"Oh. I see," he murmured. Andrea laughed again.

"Don't seem so put out! No blood, no foul. Now, care to give me a tour?"  
she asked with a small smile. Vigilante returned her smile though she  
couldn't see it. She could however, hear it in his answer.

"Sure."

-Two hours and many rooms and people later-

Vigilante and Andrea walked in silence along one of the more disserted  
hallways.

"So, Andrea," Vigilante began softly, "are you and Batman always so...angry  
with each other?" Andy looked over at him and grinned.

"No, not always. It's kinda a love, hate relationship," she replied with a  
laugh. Vigilante found himself grinning underneath the bandana. Wait.  
Relationship? He opened his mouth to ask what she meant by relationship  
when Green Arrow and Black Canary rounded the nearby corner.

"Yo! Cowboy! Help me out! She's gainin' on me!" Green Arrow yelled in  
what sounded like genuine fear. Vigilante just tipped his hat, chuckling at  
Green Arrow's glare. Andrea laughed at the robin hood look a like when he  
yelped at Black Canary's threat of showing him some of her 'new moves' if he  
didn't apologize for making a fool out of her.

"I'm sorry babe! I didn't mean for them to get the wrong idea!" the fearful man yelled over his shoulder at the pissed blonde.

"How the hell did you not mean for them to get the wrong idea when you said, 'Nighttime is her best time,'?" Black Canary screeched. Andrea felt a bit sorry for Green Arrow at Black Canary's threats and anger. Even she had to admit, that the blonde was pretty freaky when she was mad and Andrea had hung out with the Bat himself!

"They'll kiss and make up eventually," came Vigilante's southern drawl. He had obviously seen her looking down the hall at the two superheroes before they disappeared around the far corner. Andrea turned to him and smiled.

"Obviously." Taking her gently by the arm, Vigilante walked her farther down the hall and back towards the break room.

"So, Andrea," he began, but was soon interrupted.

"Please, call me Andy. All my friends do," she said with a smile. Vigilante looked down at her smiling face, her being a few inches shorter than him, before looking back ahead. His next question might not be taken so well but, he was rather curious.

"Is Batman not your friend then?" he asked quietly, a hint of confusion making itself known is his southern accent. Andrea looked up at him in confusion and the cowboy clarified.

"You said that your friends call you Andy and yet Batman calls you Andrea," he said gently, stealing a quick look at her out of the corner of his eyes, but otherwise avoiding eye contact. Andrea thought that his concern over her reaction was pretty cute. She grinned. Maybe she should make him squirm…

"What? I don't seem like the type of girl that Batman would want to be friends with?" the brunette teen asked in mock hurt. Vigilante immediately tried to remedy his mistaken question.

"No, no! That's not what I meant! I just wondered if… oh, never mind. I apologize for the rude question." His voice that had started so determined had lost its persuasion and seemed defeated, sullen. Andrea instantly felt bad for her mock hurt. She grabbed the cowboy by the arm, for he had let go of hers at the first sign of her resentment at his question, and stopped him with a gentle tug.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. You said nothing that hurt me or offended me or whatever. Batty and I have an…interesting relationship. I don't know that he would call me a friend, but I certainly think of him as one," the teen explained, her face once again smiling. Vigilante looked down into her eyes, one brow raised.

"So what was with the hurt voice? You sounded like I really offended you." Andrea lowered her eyes and blushed slightly. She looked back up at him.

"I'm sorry for that. Sometimes it's just fun to make people squirm, especially when it's over something that's not important. I've got a sarcastic side that you'll soon meet; just ask Batty," she said with a smirk. A deep, rumbling baritone spoke up from the shadows.

"Ask me what?" Andrea yelped and Vigilante suddenly found his arms automatically wrapping around the started teen that had jumped into his chest.

"Holy crap! Don't do that Batty!" she sighed with exasperation, sagging with relief against the cowboy's chest, a hand pressed to her own, as the form of Batman detached itself from the surrounding shadows. The Dark Knight didn't respond, but simply looked at the two in disapproval. Vigilante, growing slightly nervous by the glare being shot his way, gently unwrapped his arms from around Andrea.

"I'll see ya'll back in the break room," he said, quickly yet politely excusing himself. Andrea nodded and gave him a smile.

"Alright then! I'll be there in a few!" Turning back around to the Caped Crusader, Andrea's smile fell.

"What?" she asked in confusion at the glare being leveled her way. Batman didn't answer and Andrea sighed.

"Another game of, 'let's be pissed but not let the person we're glaring to death know why', then huh?" she asked sarcastically. If possible, Batman's glare hardened. Andrea gave him one of her own.

"And just what the hell is your problem?" she finally demanded heatedly, unable to stand the glaring silence any longer. Batman suddenly moved and in an instant, Andrea found her personal bubble popped as Batman loomed above her, silent as death. And death was what Andrea was starting to feel at his close, pissed proximity. So, she did what any person in her position would do. She began to backtrack.

"Um, I'm sorry?" she questioned hopefully. Batman moved a little closer, causing Andrea to take a small step back. What was it with him and the lack of personal space?

"Sorry for what?" he asked, his voice low, with a slightly dangerous edge to it. An inopportune shiver snaked its' way up the teens' spine and damn it all if the Bat didn't catch it. Sometimes, Andrea hated his observing skills.

"Sorry for what?" the Dark Knight repeated, stepping closer to her. Andrea didn't take a step back this time, tiring of this blasted little game the cloaked man seemed to enjoy: Let's scare the shit out of someone! Today, that lucky someone seemed to be her.

"Oh hell, Batty!" she sighed, "I don't know! I do so many things everyday that, in your book, I should be sorry for that I lose track. So, I give up. What am I sorry for?" Apparently her sarcasm was not appreciated. Faster than any human being should be able to move, Batman had the sarcastic teen pinned up against the wall, her wrists held together above her head by one of Batman's larger hands. The Dark Knight's body was pressed against Andrea's to keep her from kicking or squirming and his masked face was exceedingly close to her flushing one. His free hand he had braced against the wall by the teen's head, holding much of his body weight up.

"You really don't know what I'm talking about, do you?" he questioned, his voice taking on a soft, yet somehow husky tone. Andrea's heart skipped a beat, literally. Why did he have to be so damn hot? However, being around him constantly for the past year or two had strengthened Andrea's ability to keep a calm, cool countenance…supposedly. After all, she couldn't have her "employer" and older friend know how exactly he affected her…though she had a feeling he knew. Damn his freakish perception abilities! Apparently she wasn't as good at staying cool as she gave herself credit for.

"I hardly ever know what you are talking about, Batty," she replied, surprised and proud at how strong and nonchalant her voice sounded. It didn't even waver! Batman's voice interrupted her self praising thoughts.

"Jealousy," he murmured huskily, lowering his face closer to hers. Andrea's eyes widened and she gulped at his proximity. He was jealous? Of what? The confused teen's eyebrows narrowed in thought as she tried to think of what he could possibly mean.

Underneath the cowl, the Caped Crusaders' eyes softened at her scrunched up face. She really was cute. Andrea ran her tongue over her upper lip in her concentration and Batman felt himself responding. Maybe cute wasn't such an accurate word…perhaps beautiful or even sexy. Yes, those two seemed to describe her much better. Her soft voice, full of confusion and a slight ray of hope, broke through the masked man's thoughts.

"What on earth would you be jealous of, Batty?" Andrea asked the man still pressed against her. Batman mentally sighed at her question. Perhaps he had said too much…

She was, after all, only 17 and he was nearing on 26. Though the age difference didn't bother him in the least, the masked man was concerned on what Andrea's thoughts were on the matter. Her parents' view would normally have been a major issue too, and it would have been, with any other parents. But Andrea's parents were a different story. Leaving a 17 year old daughter alone in Gotham of all places for who knows how long, just didn't scream good parenting. Andrea didn't trust her family with the secret of her vigilante lifestyle when she wasn't at school, so as far as Batman was concerned, her parents had no say in the matter anyway.

However, the world's opinion of their relationship worried Batman greatly. He was a billionaire playboy, one of the most powerful, influential men in the country. Andrea though, was not. She would be ridiculed, looked down upon, and possibly scorned should anything happen and they were to separate. A teenager dating an older man like him, a playboy, would definitely not bode well for her in the long run.

Batman, Bruce, all of him, planned on a long life with Andrea should they ever hook up, but perhaps she wouldn't feel the same. She was, after all, only 20, and not quite versed in the ways of love, men and long term commitment. As far as the masked man was informed, she'd never even had a boyfriend yet. Not something she enjoyed flaunting, however.

"Batty?" the object of his musings questioned gently. Batman shook his head and refocused on Andrea's hopeful face. He couldn't put her through his lifestyle with the press and everyone's judgments. Best to just back out now before any confessions slipped past his defenses.

"Vigilante is expecting you," he stated firmly, pulling away from her. The Caped Crusader watched as her face visibly fell; her hopeful look taking on a defeated light.

His chest constricted painfully.

"Oh…yeah," the teen murmured. Turning to walk away back down the hall towards the rec room, Andrea suddenly stopped. She glanced over sadly at the shadowy form of the Dark Knight.

"And here I thought we had something there for a minute," she whispered brokenly before walking off.

Her tear choked voice ringing in his head, Batman watched her until she was out of sight before turning and walking briskly the other way.

'We did have something, Love,'he thought with a sigh, 'We still do. I just can't let you know that.'


End file.
